Drivers gather to wish longtime leader well

Georgeanne Goodloe, the wife of Direct Transit Director Larry Goodloe (red sweatshirt), grabs a photo of drivers and office staff at a luncheon held Dec. 20 to honor Larry’s Dec. 31 retirement. His replacement will be Janine Clampitt, seated to his right. Goodloe served as director for more than 11 years. (Photo by David Knopf/Richmond News)

By David Knopf/Richmond News

Janine Clampitt, who’ll become director of Direct Transit Jan. 2, said she plans few changes to the well-oiled machine left by her mentor, Larry Goodloe.

“I’ve spent the last 4 1/2 years learning every aspect of Direct Transportation,” said Clampitt, who as operations manager has shared accounting responsibilities with Goodloe and handled the nuts and bolts of daily scheduling and driver credentials and certification. “Larry has done a great job of growing the business, so my plan is to continue that. Things are really rolling now. We’re at our peak.”

Goodloe, retiring the first of the year, presided over tremendous growth in the largely grant-funded organization. Direct Transit – a division of Ray County Transportation – provides a gamut of services to the county’s elderly, disabled and special-needs residents. There are daily to doctors, shopping, beauty salons, jobs, school, day care and Ideal Industries, a sheltered workshop, as well as regular routes for delivering meals on wheels and bringing residents to the senior center.

The organization’s grants come a variety of sources, including Mid-America Regional Council, Missouri departments of mental health and social services, Head Start, Shirkey Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, and two county boards that provide services for the developmentally disabled.

Direct Transit’s 21 vehicles and 18 drivers log between 7,000 and 7,500 one-way trips a month, Clampitt said, making it an important cog in the community.

“It’s a great thing for Richmond (and surrounding communities) to have Direct Transit,” said Clampitt, who’s lived in the area 17 years. “A lot of communities our size don’t have something like this.”